Because there is so much going on in the B2B sales market - such as the increasingly digital purchasing process and the further shift of power to the buyer - we at Kenneth Smit are curious how the market is dealing with this. What are the challenges companies face and what are the biggest hurdles they have to overcome? From our benchmark research among more than a hundred leading companies in the Netherlands, I see the same barriers appearing almost everywhere. Yet the approach to overcoming those hurdles differs. And very interesting: a small group of frontrunners is well on its way to a future-proof B2B sales team!

'When companies have better coordination between marketing and sales, there are also fewer barriers'

Focus and barriers

How do companies respond to recent developments in B2B sales and what is therefore high on the management agenda? The majority, as shown by the benchmark, give priority to working with modern sales and marketing tools, sharpening the sales culture and better organizing the organization for the changing buyer journey. But I also see that this will not happen without a struggle. Sales organizations have difficulty implementing an integrated content strategy that fits in well with an increasingly digital world. In addition, almost half find it complicated to automate the sales process, especially in the initial phases of the purchasing process. And they find it difficult to set up their team with people who have the right or perhaps new skills and abilities. It is also striking that companies that have better coordination between marketing and sales – the so-called frontrunner group – experience far fewer barriers.

'The sales team of the future will mainly focus on applying digital sales and marketing tools'

Learn from the leaders

What should you focus on now to not miss the boat and reduce those barriers? The group of leaders who are already well on their way to the sales team of the future mentioned in the report, indicate that they focus on applying modern digital sales and marketing tools. Consider software such as marketing automation, social CRM and LinkedIn Navigator. Leaders also consider close collaboration with partners, internal stakeholders or even customers to be important, as well as the smart design of a digital sales process. What also strikes me is that they report higher on their right skills than the rest of the market. For example, frontrunners more often share knowledge through storytelling and blogs, and demonstrate their knowledge leadership in webinars and video calls. They are real nudgers, which means that they digitally edit their prospects - in small steps - throughout the entire buying process.

Future-proof

Leaders therefore invest heavily in content, software and the right skills. And what is also striking is that their organization is agile and there is close cooperation between marketing and sales. Much asked for a sales team of the future. Yet, in my opinion, they are all prerequisites for reducing the barriers and ensuring that your team moves into the future with confidence!

Download our trend report

Curious to what extent your sales team is at all future-proof is or do you want to learn more from the frontrunners? Download the Kenneth Smit trend report 'Sales of the Future'. Using our handy checklist, you will know whether your sales team is ready or whether there are skills that could still use some attention.